


In The Lonely Hour

by whisky



Series: In The Lonely Hour [1]
Category: Korrasami - Fandom, Legend of Korra
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-02
Updated: 2015-12-19
Packaged: 2018-04-23 20:34:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4891201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whisky/pseuds/whisky
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Asami studies engineering at Republic City University and has started her third year. One rainy day on her walk to class, she hears a familiar song coming from a room in the arts building.</p><p>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o661KZwx2JQ</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Track 01: But Not For Me

_Music fills your very soul. The crowd, the stage, the sound, the swing; isn’t that the reason why we do it? I like to think it’s that simple._

 

 

A soft clap of thunder rolled through the cloudy skies. The rain had already come and gone. An overheard conversation filled with chatter between friends and from what she could tell, in the faintest corner of her mind, there was the mute hum of music, though she could have just imagined it. Asami walked through the wet, grassy quad of Republic City University. Raindrops lingered on the green blades and tinged the sidewalk edges a peculiar gray and brown color. Students walked in pairs, in groups and alone through the walkways to get to classrooms or their cars and their dorms.

The morning had been gray with patchy, rough showers that appeared across the city and over the mountains. Streaks of light seared themselves through the cloud coverage at certain spots and illuminated some areas. The wet grass had been one of them and Asami watched the light with its odd shape travel alongside her. Raindrops on roses lined the area near the arts building and she turned left down the path to get to her next class. There were shorter ways, but this way was the only one with the vibrant red roses and the healthy green grass; and the very rare, off-chance of the music. It sometimes lingered out of open window on the third floor which was drenched in fresh rainwater.

Even through the low, rumbling thunder in the distance, Asami could hear the gradual ascent of a bass line and the light taps of a drummer’s jazz kit. She continued to walk forward but slowed when she arrived underneath the window. Her breath left her lips in anticipation. Maybe she wouldn’t hear it today.

Asami sighed and adjusted the strap of her bag on her shoulder. There were water droplet stains on her crimson jacket. She focused on wiping the excess water off her lapel but as she swept the water away, she heard the breath of someone echo from a brassy trumpet. The dulcet tones and harsh turns through the tubes made her shiver. She thought there was so much emotion thrown into that sound, so real and powerful that she could feel it thirty feet below. The slow descent and then a sudden burst of sound in time with the drums and the piano and the bass. Each piece combined to create something she never knew existed. Every instrument as powerful as the next, but that trumpet still shined through as it followed the valleys and mountains across the rows of the sheet music.

Asami stopped dead in her tracks. Rain hit the thick plastic frame of her glasses and fell down onto the lenses, leaving a trail of smaller droplets. She didn’t care though, the song was flowing through her, she could feel the power of the  musicians, their talent, their ambition. She knew this one from somewhere. It had been a while since she could listen to it, all the vinyl and the record player stayed at home. The bass line bounced like the thunder in the sky and she imagined the faceless quartet on stage drenched in hot lights and silhouetted by a velvet curtain. She heard a faint voice in the midst of the music, then another on certain words. They were both feminine sounding, one soft and the other with a little more gravitas. She could make out the words.

‘They're writing songs of love, but not for me,’ The gentler voice hummed. The piano keys tapped away and the unknown musician pressed on the pedals.

‘A lucky star's above, but not for me,’ A different, raspier tone appeared. She took deep breaths between the lyrical lines. Asami could hear the soul in her voice.  

‘With love to lead the way, I've found more clouds of gray,’ A harmonious clash of malleable and immovable, but they came together beautifully.

The bass played on and pulled the strings with greater gaps. Then the song faded out and the quiet thunder over the mountains now was all Asami could hear. She stood there for a moment and hoped they would start up again, but it was only met with silence. Her class had started already, but she wanted more. She waited another second while she took a step forward.

“Guess they’re done for today.” She sighed and walked down the sidewalk. Her fingertips still tingled and she balled them up into fists and shook them out. She wanted to hold onto that feeling, but class distractions aren’t any good for an engineering student.

She opened the classroom door and the chatter of students in groups at large, wooden tables blew away the tingling feeling. It was like the exact opposite of the trumpet she heard just moments ago; it sobered her up and out of the jazzed filled stupor. She took her seat with her group. She had lucked out for the project and was in a group with some friends from her dorm. Her bag still hung off her shoulder and she stared at the ceiling as the others busied themselves with chit chat.

“Hey Asami you okay?” The dark haired girl across the table, Kaori asked. The remainder of the group stopped what they were doing to look at her. She didn’t break her eye contact with the water stained ceiling tile.

“I’m fine.” She let out a breath of tired air.

“We have a lot of work to do on the project…”

“What happened to you?” Rei, a shorter girl with an undercut and stylized hair chimed in from across the table.

“I don’t know. I think I heard something amazing today.”

“Like what?” Another girl intruded.

“Like a confession?” Kaori asked.

“Like music?” Rei butted in again.

Asami kept staring at the ceiling, she leaned back and the front legs lifted off the ground. She could still feel the sticks tip-toeing on the cymbal and the air escaping from the bell of the horn. “Something like jazz.”

“Oh I see. Our little engineer over here is in love.” Kaori giggled and nudged Asami’s absent minded shoulder.

Asami looked at them and slammed the suspended metal legs back onto the scuffed tile. “I’m not. I meant like real jazz. I heard it today out in the quad.” She begged with her bright red face.

“Oh I see,” Kaori waved her hand in apology, “My bad. Hey if you like jazz that much why not come out with us tonight? We’re going to that jazz bar with the three dollar drinks!” The girls all agreed and asked her to go with them in their own voice. “Whaddya say Asami?”

She had calmed down from the sudden embarrassment and her green eyes soothed over from panic to gratefulness. Her red tinted face returned back to being more pale and she relaxed her upturned shoulders. Asami sighed, she knew she couldn’t go. “Sorry, I can’t. I have a lot of work to do tonight. Maybe next time?”

The group recoiled back to their seats disappointed. “We’ll get you next time Asami, you better come with.” Rei griped in a joking way.

She laughed, “Okay, okay. Next time, I promise.”

When class ended she walked by the arts building again. The roses were still wet and the grass seemed even brighter as the cloud coverage dissipated. The window opened upwards and rain fell right off it and down onto the walkway but there was no sound, no music. The washed brick building stood tall and silent, she could hear the chirping of a bird escaping the canopy of a tree as it flew over the rigid roof. Interspersed groups were scattered about the quad, the white soles of their shoes were stained green by the wet grass.

She spotted some familiar faces across the way but mostly some unfamiliar ones, possibly some freshman who just started their second semester. Her frustration showed through and Asami audibly huffed. She decided to go back to her dorm for the day. Maybe she could hear the trumpeter again tomorrow, though that was the first time she had heard that motley crue in a number of weeks.

She came back the next day and the clouds had disappeared, though it was still cold and the music was still gone. Asami would walk by the building every day for class, she would make sure to be there at the same time she heard them practicing that day. Although she knew it was a long shot but in the off chance she could hear that song again, it was worth the effort.

Every day for three weeks she came back and stood below that open window. The rainy weather persisted off and on, while winter made its approach. The window never faltered or closed but still there was no music. And unlike the corrugated glass, Asami had become discouraged. In her mind, she could hear the clap of the cymbals, the trumpeter pressing down the valves with their forceful, yet skilled fingers, the pianist hitting key after key in tune with the plucked strings of the bass. The song and its musicians haunted her; they were still silhouettes on the grand stage. It was all a bit frustrating. Her nights stuck in the library surrounded by textbooks were filled with her unsharpened pencil hitting away at the drum’s notes.

The library was empty and Asami was lost in a sea of text on a dense page. “What could it be?” She tapped her eraser on the book’s spine. The sentences were being repeated and she couldn’t stop herself from doing it. A tap on her shoulder jutted her from her deep thought.

“Hey.” Kaori leaned down with a smile and placed a hand on the table to steady herself..

“Oh hey, you scared me.”

“Sorry, sorry. Didn’t mean to. I was leaving just now and figured I’d ask you one more time. Want to come to the jazz bar tonight? It’s really fun and the music is great.”

Asami sighed and looked down at her work, then over to her checklist which was a mile long with one box ticked away at the very top. “I can’t,” She pressed her fingers against her forehead. “Sorry. I’m just swamped right now.”

“Don’t worry about it Asami, you’ve been pretty distracted lately.”  
“Tell me about it.” She huffed with a laugh.

“Well I hope you figure it out. I have to get going, see you tomorrow.” Kaori skipped away with her bag.

“See ya.” Asami sighed and placed her head on the nonsensical textbook pages. In an instant she threw her hands up in the air and looked up at the bright lights in the ceiling. “What’s the name of the damn song?” She brought her voice down to a whisper and it played off the thin textbook pages

Four hours later, the morning arrived and Asami forced herself up out of her comfortably warm bed. The floor was cold and her candle she lit after arriving home from the library had soaked up all the wax, but it filled her dorm room with a pleasant scent. She slipped on her heavy jacket, grabbed the black umbrella that laid near the door and headed to class. The humid air made it feel like she was sweating as she walked to class. The hallway that adjoined to her dorm entrance was a more direct route compared to her usual detour near the silent arts building with its brick dusted siding and propped open windows.

The cloudy sky limited the sunlight which gave the entire school an eerie glow with the fluorescent lights that tiled the hallways, classrooms and auditoriums. The strange light was rough on Asami’s tired eyes. She arched her back and raised her hand to her mouth to cover a yawn; and brought that hand down to grasp the handle of the approaching doorway. A quick turn of her wrist opened it and revealed the bustling classroom. The windows that lined the far side of the room were bent open, letting in the cold, rainy winter air.

Asami surveyed the room, the groups were at their own tables chatting amongst themselves. Through all the talk noise and as she spotted Kaori and Rei at the table nearest the front of the classroom, Asami heard a faint but naggingly familiar sound. The green grass of the quad was visible through the misted windows. She listened past the rain and the chatter and wondered if it really was them she was hearing or just her mind focusing on the song she couldn’t forget. Then, through all the noise and her intense listening, the rain cleared and the chatter stopped when the blaring breath of the trumpeter roared from outside. The world seemed to stop and the skip of her heartbeat gave a small moment of clarity.

“Hey Asami!” Rei hollered from the front of the room.

Without a word, Asami dropped her notebook and umbrella onto the floor. The wet fabric shook the water of itself with each impact as it settled onto the linoleum. Kaori and Rei looked up at her with questioning faces, though they didn’t get to ask anything. Asami turned back around and ran down the hallway to the quad exit. She pushed the heavy metal door out of her way, the hi-hat began to tap out a one, two, three beat. She could hear the keys of the piano strike the actions and reverberate the strings. They were there.

The doors swung open and the outside air and rain hit her, soaking her jacket; though she didn’t really care in that moment. She passed the dew covered roses and grass, all she could see of them were green and red blurs. A hard left into another set of doors at the end of the building brought her to a wide staircase. She ascended the stairs, hitting each step quickly and precisely. The music became louder and more pronounced as she climbed.

The hallway was empty and some of the lights in the ceiling flickered in and out. The audible clicks from the glass tubes were drowned out by a flood of music. It was so powerful that Asami staggered as she approached the source, which was a roughed up door with a cracked window pane. The music escaped through the missing shards of glass. She bent down and peered through the holes, the music slapped against her face and she felt like tapping her foot and bouncing along to the beat.

All that could be seen through the patchy glass was the wooden back of a vertical piano. Asami could barely see the top of the player’s head as it bobbed up and down in unison with each chord. The music washed over her and Asami stood there in awe. Her body felt light and she couldn’t help but smile. She decided to wait until the song ended to knock. She didn’t want to interrupt and if she was being completely honest with herself, she wouldn’t have minded staying there all day, just listening to the mystery troupe.

Her giddiness made the song fly by and when she realized the music had faded out she held a fist against the door. Asami hesitated for a moment and wondered what she would say or what it was okay to ask or what if they were all really intimidating. It ran through her head at a mile a minute. She sighed and reaffirmed herself and nodded her head up and down. She put on a face filled with confidence and proudly knocked on the beaten up wood.

She could hear the sound of instruments being put into their cases or set on top of tables and a muffled shift of bodies moving about the room. A chair made a scratching noise as the person stood up from it. Asami could hear hearty footsteps coming closer and closer toward the door. The cracks in the window were covered by a black shirt. The silver handle turned over and pulled itself into the classroom.

A guy stood in the threshold. He had messy brown hair that topped his angular face. Sweat pearled on his forehead and his chest heaved up and down with each tired breath. He clenched the side of the door and his forearm tensed intermittently.

“Can I help you?” He spoke between heavy breaths. Asami looked past him and could spy a girl with green eyes and short hair next to the piano and a broad shouldered guy with equally green eyes balancing a standup bass behind her. They were looking over the shoulders of the guy in front of her. His form was imposing, even as he breathed heavily.

Asami returned her focus to him and stumbled with her words. “Yeah, uh, um, were you guys playing in here a few weeks ago?”

He raised one eyebrow and planted his other hand on his hip. “Hmm probably. Some other music clubs play in here but it’s mostly just us, “ He turned back and looked at the two near the piano and Asami spied a something poking out of his back pocket. “Why do you want to know?” He said as he turned back to her.

Asami leaned back in her stance at the question. “I heard you playing a song and I can’t get it out of my head. Could you tell me what is was?”

The green eyed boy next to the piano perked up, “We play a lot songs here lady, you’re gonna have to be more specific.” Asami heard the short haired girl next to him punch him in the arm. He yelped out a stinging ow.

“Bo, be nice.” She hissed.

“Sorry, sorry.” He chuckled with a little bit of hurt behind it.

Asami’s eyes bounced between them, she couldn’t think of the right way to summarize. “It was raining,” She blurted out. “Two girls were singing. The trumpet player was amazing with the solo before the singing.” The words left her mouth along with the ghostly admiration of the trumpeter.

The three looked at one another and then back into the far corner of the room. They stared off over there for a moment with questioning looks. The man turned his attention out the door as all of their eyes shifted back to Asami. She looked him up and down, worry poured from her face.

“Not For Me,” He spoke. Asami turned one eyebrow up at him. “Not For Me by Chet Baker. On his singing album from 1952. Sound familiar?”

“Yes! Wow, you really know your stuff.” Asami bellowed happily. She knew the song from somewhere, she couldn’t place it in her memory but the relief of meeting the musicians was enough. She wanted to hear them play more, she needed to hear more.

“So was that all you needed?” The doorman removed his foot as the door started to close.

“No wait!” She persisted. “If it isn’t too much trouble, could I.. You know, sit in on your session? I would like to listen.” She batted her large green eyes at him.

“Well, uh…” He trailed off and rubbed the back of his neck. The two in the back nodded yes when he looked over to him. He rolled his shoulders into a shrug, “Sure, why not. Come on in.”

“Thank you so much,” Asami took a step forward as the man held the door open. “So are you the trumpet player?” She looked up at him as she passed through the doorway. He scoffed under his breath and reached into his back pocket.

“Nope,” He held two drumsticks in his hand. They were made of a light wood and had dents and scratches all over them. “I’m a drummer. Name’s Mako by the way.”

“Oh,” She was surprised. “I’m Asami. I study engineering here.” She moved into the classroom and looked at the boy and girl near the piano.

“No need to be so formal,” The green eyed girl stood back up from the vertical piano. “I’m Opal, obviously I play the piano,” She gestured to the grand looking instrument. “And to my right is Bolin, he plays bass.”

The boy rolled his hand over in a bow. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Opal nudged him and he almost lost his balance.

“Now who’s being formal?” Opal giggled at his stumbling form.

Asami waved at the both of them with a smile. They seemed to get along well, Mako too. She looked around at the three of them. “Pleasure to meet you both,” She gave a similar bow without the balance issue. She brought herself back up to eye level. “Wait, so who is the trumpet player then?”

“Right. You’ll want Korra then. She’s over there.” Bolin pointed toward the far side of the room. Asami turned and stopped in her tracks. A girl sat on a desk near the windows, particularly the one that had been propped open the those last few weeks. She wore a navy dress shirt and black jeans. The first thing Asami noticed was her darker complexion, like Opal’s but somehow different in tone. Her arms were outstretched, pressing her hands against the desk top and her eyelids gently closed on top of one another. There was a subtle smile on her tan face. Asami’s eyes trailed down Korra’s frame and ended on her bare feet. A pair of brown loafers were coupled on the floor near her precarious seat.

Asami tried not to look so surprised, though it wasn’t that her mystery trumpeter was a woman, but it had more to do with her appearance and demeanor. Her stylish clothes, bare feet and her dress shirt sleeves were rolled up; each of her pant legs were rolled up at different lengths as well. All of these things surprised her. Korra’s eyes fluttered open, revealing a striking pair of light blue eyes. Asami looked at the blinking eyes and saw the ocean, deep and fleeting, similar to the offhand trumpet playing that she heard through the window that day and again, three weeks prior.

Korra dismounted the desk and looked Asami up and down. She picked up a towel that was resting on her silver lined trumpet case and tossed it over to her. “You’re soaked. Dry off and we’ll start playing again.”

Asami caught the towel with ease. It was clean and smelled like fresh flowers. She removed her jacket and pressed it against her shirt. “Thank you.” Her voice was weak and her cheeks were a little red. She thought it was from the chill of the rainwater and the air conditioning, but maybe it was Korra. Her mind still ran wildly in the satisfying ending she found for her dilemma, she couldn’t tell which it really was. Korra stood up from the desk, tucked her trumpet between her side and her arm and shoved her hands in her pockets. She slowly walked toward the group.

Asami sat down in a chair near the piano and toweled off her hair. Bolin and Mako returned to their instruments and Korra stood in the front but faced them. She meddled with the valves and tubing of her trumpet, wiping it down with a microfiber cloth that was tucked away in her shirt pocket.

Opal slid over the piano bench to the end next to Asami and leaned in close to her. “Hey what are you doing tomorrow afternoon?” She whispered as Bolin plucked at his bass strings and Mako adjusted his freestanding cymbal.

Asami turned her head as she continued to wipe down her hair with the towel. “Umm nothing that I can think of. Midterm projects ended last week so I’m free for a while.”

Opal turned towards her and smiled. “Would you want to sit in for our session tomorrow too? We’re trying to get a gig soon and we’ve really amped up our practice schedule. You can come whenever you--”

“You like jazz?” Korra interrupted and looked up from her instrument. The reflection of her face and the room surrounding her was skewed and distorted in the gold brass mirror.

Asami paused and stuttered. “Uhh, yes. I do.” Her voice trailed off in an awkward rasp.

Korra looked affectionately at her trumpet, moving it around in her gripped hands. “Who do you listen to? If you don’t mind me askin’.”

Asami readjusted herself in the metal chair and let out a thought-filled hum. “I guess the classics mostly? I’ve been listening to Bill Evans and Art Blakey since I was a kid.”

“Okay. You play anything?” Korra pushed further, bouncing between her feet. The rolled up pants revealed a feather band that wrapped around her ankle.

“Piano when I was young, but no. I sang in choir for a while.” Asami smiled nervously, the line of questioning gradually became more intense.

“Hmm.. Favorite piece?” Korra pressed down the golden valves in a quick succession. They slid effortlessly between the brass casings and rose back up as she released her fingers from their caps.

“Moanin’, it’s too good.” Asami smiled and raised her eyebrow at the rigorous questions. Her confidence beamed out in the muggy yet cold room.  

“Interesting,” Korra staggered herself and looked around at the musicians and nodded at them. She curled her bare toes on the linoleum and tapped out a count. “Then, let’s roll with that.”


	2. Track 02: She's A Good Luck Charm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We pick up right where chapter 1 left off!
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=caWY7uOlakU
> 
> Listen to this before, during or after reading!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wish I could say I was picking this up again but with Neon Signs still ongoing, this will have to be on hold for a little while longer! I wrote this chapter a little while ago to take a break from other things and I'm posting it today because it's the 1 year anniversary of Korrasami! I had to do something special so I hope this small update is enough. Thank you so much for reading!
> 
> So I'll repeat:
> 
> This is in honor of the 1 year anniversary of KORRASAMI
> 
> This will be the last update until Neon Signs is finished!

Korra’s trumpet rocketed out soulful notes that were filled with a cadence reminiscent of the greats.  The trumpeter’s bare foot tapped away at each counted beat and her anklet shook as the vibrations traveled along the tendons and bones situated in the tensed muscle. Her previously tight sleeve had unraveled from her excessive movement, the ones that took the musical notes and warped it into her own.

Asami sat on the old desk chair, knock-kneed with her mouth wide in awe. Her eyes jumped across the performance, she couldn’t focus on just one aspect. The music washed over her in a jumpy swell of sound. Certain parts and even small unmemorable notes lingered with her long after they had faded into the the air or were out-measured by stronger ones. She crossed her arms and looked at each musician as they played off to the inevitable ending. The feeling was fleeting, knowing that the music would stop and she wouldn’t be able to hear it any longer.

Korra leaned down with a convex bend. Her loosely tucked dress shirt stretched across her strong back and she blared the remaining note out into the cold space. Asami was sure people across the campus were able to hear it. The band stopped all at once and smiled at one another with highly accomplished looks.

“So, what did you think?” Opal questioned with baited breath as she stood up from the piano stool and walked over to Asami.

“I… don’t really have the words. You’re amazing, I’ve never heard Blakey played like that before.” Asami smiled, her voice went up and down as her excitement escaped.

“Wait till we get a gig! Korra is trying to get us one at her night job!” Bolin slid into view, bumping into Opal. “We’re gonna kill it when it happens,” He flung out his hands and waved them horizontally across an imaginary keyboard, “You know, Charlie Parker style!”

“That’s my line,” Mako barked from the drumset. He pressed the two sticks together to make an audible clap, “He is a drummer after all, you should stick to something along the basslines, Bo.” Mako laughed and Bolin rolled his eyes. Opal started to giggle and he pressed his fingers against his chest in sarcastic hurt. He flexed his palm upward so just his fingertips touched his dirty black t-shirt.  

“Betrayed by my own friends?! How will I go on? Is a solo career my only hope now?” Mako and Opal continued to berate him as he went on and on. Bolin’s melodrama faded out as Asami’s gaze turned over to Korra.

She had quietly slipped away to the far side of the room just as before. Her bare feet stepped lightly on the white tile and she set her trumpet down gently on the table. A quick hop and she was back on her desk bed and laid down across the fake wood grain.

Asami took notice of her subtle movements. She was a different person than the trumpeter that stood before her moments ago. Korra seemed happy with the horn pressed to her lips and as she played, Asami could see the soul she poured into the music. Korra created this atmosphere when she performed and not only was it palpable, but she could feel it impose and press upon everyone in the room. Asami could see it exude and flow through her wild performance.

“Hey, Asami?” Opal cleared her throat and tore her stare away from Korra.

Flustered, she turned her attention back to the pianist with a welcoming expression. “What is it?”

“It was really cool having you sit in. We kinda went into concert mode because of you.” Opal smiled.

“Yeah, we haven’t played that well in a while,” Mako stood up from his drumset and stuffed the sticks into his back pocket. “Want to sit in tomorrow too? We’ll be here in the late afternoon.”

Asami looked around at the group, all of them nodded with encouragement, save for Korra who had seemed to have  fallen asleep on her makeshift bed. She turned away from the sleeping form and sighed with a smile. “Yeah, of course, as long as you all don’t mind.” Asami shot a side glance to Korra again.

Opal shook her head, “Of course we don’t mind. We invited you after all.” Her and Bolin stood up from their seats to start packing up.

Asami nodded and agreed with Opal’s statement. “So what time should I be here tomorrow?” She stood up from the creaky chair and dusted off the back of her thighs.

“Hmm, let’s say 4 o’clock? Does that work for you Korra? We can get three hours in before your shift.” Mako cupped his hand around his mouth and relayed his voice over to the trumpeter on the other side of the room. Korra slowly nodded in her sleep induced daze.

“Awesome,” Asami looked back over to them, “I’ll see you then.”

Before she even realized it, she had hurried out the door. The band waved as she unconsciously left the room, leaving them to give one another weird looks. Korra was still ‘asleep’.

The hallway was eerily silent compared to the barrage of sound that had filled it before. She made her way down the stairs and back into the more busy hallway for the science wing. Asami stopped and leaned against the wall near a classroom to take a breather. The whole chain of events left her pretty winded.

“Hey Asami, where’d you go?” A voice rang in her ear. She jumped in surprise to see Rei peeking out of the classroom door. Before she could say anything Rei cut her off. “There’s only five minutes of class left.”

“Shit.” Asami looked down at her watch. She had been so busy with the mystery band that she lost track of time. She looked up at Rei with wide eyes. “I got caught up with something.”

“Sure seemed like you heard that music you were talking about and bolted out of the classroom without any of your stuff. The professor thought you went crazy.” Rei joked but looked at Asami intently with her gold colored eyes.

“It feels like I went crazy. I couldn’t really control myself to be honest.” Asami pressed her palm up to her forehead, she felt hot despite it being so cold.

“Well you missed a lot so…” Rei pulled out her notebook from behind her back. The paper was inscribed with organized writing in dark red ink.

Asami looked down at the notes and smiled. “Thanks Rei.” She reached out to take them but Rei pulled them out of her grasp just before she could snatch them. Asami looked up at her in confusion.

“I’ll let you copy the notes… But you have to come out with us to the jazz club tomorrow night.” Rei bit her lip and smiled.

“Really?” Asami raised one her eyebrows and cocked her hips. “That’s a really weird bribe.”

“Well it’s the only way I can get you to come out with us so that’s just how it is.” Rei pulled the notebook closer and away from Asami.

“Okay, okay. I’ll go.” She released her tensioned form and gave in.

Rei stuffed the notebook into Asami’s chest and smiled. “Good then it’s a deal. Meet us in the dorm lobby at eight. Dress for the occasion too.” She winked and walked back into the classroom.

As Asami walked into the classroom, the professor laid down her notes and dismissed the class. The other students got up and packed their things, clanging textbooks together to fit them into small backpacks and the typical filler conversation that followed dismissal. Asami picked up her bag from where she carelessly dropped it and headed back to her dorm. The wind had picked up and she hurried back inside.

The cold air chilled her thoroughly, she could barely feel her toes and fingers. Fingers. She could see neatly trimmed nails pressing down on brassy valves. That image stayed in her head as she wrapped herself in a blanket and sat on her twin sized bed. The curtains were drawn but the soft light and the thin material let a faint brightness into the room.

Asami copied over Rei’s notes into her own notebook on her bed. The slightest movement made the entire frame creak but it was more comfortable than her desk. Plus, the desk was filled with books and boxes, mostly stories she hadn’t gotten to yet.

The notetaking felt longer than usual and Asami sighed out of tired frustration. She fell backwards, bouncing slightly then settling into the firm mattress. She thought about the session and how alive that previously cold and inanimate room felt. And how alive she felt. It was more than exhilarating.

Asami’s mind ticked over to Korra as she stared at the ceiling.. The elusive and quiet musician that didn’t seem to be a huge fan of her from the start. She turned on her side and pressed her cheek against the warm blanket.

“Hopefully she’s okay with me being there tomorrow.” Asami sighed as her eyelids dropped over and over. Her mind and vision faded to black as she dozed off to sleep.

The next day, Asami opened her eyes in the cold music room on the third floor. It was the same as yesterday, but the mood surrounding them all wasn’t cold in the slightest. Opal tapped away at some minor keys and Bolin turned some tuning pins in subtle ways to make sure his bass was in tune. Mako paced back and forth and breathed heavily into his cupped hands to keep his fingers warm. His jeans were rolled up just above the incline of his boot and the sleeves of his white t-shirt were tightly rolled as well as they hugged his arms. He plopped down on the drum kit and tapped his feet furiously in an attempt to keep them warm.

Korra sat on the same row of desks, though she was sitting up this time as she fiddled with the valves on her trumpet. She swung her feet back and forth under the desk and then out into the open. The tips of her toes barely missed the white tiling of the floor.

Asami had come in just a few minutes before and everyone happily greeted her with a smile or a typical question. However, Korra just stopped what she was doing and stared. When Asami noticed Korra quickly turned away and returned to her instrument. She brushed off the musicians standoffish behavior and talked with the other members. It’s not like she had to pry, before Asami knew it she had already gotten to know them in just a few short minutes. The band wasn’t shy about themselves.

Mako cleared his throat and brought his sticks together. Bolin and Opal readied themselves and Korra slowly got up and tiptoed across the floor over to the main ensemble. Asami readied herself, waiting to see the transformation of Korra’s that happens when she starts to play. Mako banged the sticks together in a countdown.

“3, 2, 1. Let’s jam.” The trumpeter spoke softly and the drummer tapped out a quick and constant beat on the kit.

Asami looked on as each member slowly kicked in their own parts. One at a time she revisited her conversation from earlier.

“ _Mako’s pretty brash and showy, but he’s pretty talented so I can see why. He’s studying some kind of criminology on campus_ ,” The baseline kicked in between each snare strike. “ _Then there’s his brother, Bolin. He’s whacky but I guess it translates well to the funky style on the bass. He’s a double major, music and acting, it fits him too well, he’ll be in a play soon I think._ ” Asami thought to herself. A few powerful keys echoed in from the piano. She could see Opal bobbing her head and tapping away at the keyboard. “ _She’s pretty wild when she plays compared to her more bubbly and light personality. I haven’t asked her what she’s studying yet but I guess we have a lit class together. I wouldn’t know, I sit in the front and leave before everyone else._ ”

The trumpet roared and shook Asami down to her core. She could feel the brassy tone in her fingertips. “ _I still don’t know anything about Korra. Other than her personality and looks. Kinda rude, quiet and free. That’s all I can really think of to describe her. But then there’s the Korra when she’s playing, it’s like watching someone entirely different. I don’t really know how to describe it._ ”

Asami began to hum along to the feel good piece even after the song had faded out and the musicians came to a halt. Her voice shined through despite it just being a humming tune. Opal raised an eyebrow as she peeked above the standup piano. She stood up and walked over to Asami. She took the seat right next to her.

“Hey Asami do you like to sing? I can hear you humming along.” She persisted. The other band members paid no mind as they went over the set list with Mako over at the kit.

Asami blinked a few times and smiled with a hesitant look. “I guess I do. I’m not amazingly good or anything though.” She leaned back and looked over to other members who pointed at the setlist and made comments about placement and mood. They proceeded to nod and break up their group. Korra turned to head back to her usual spot as Bolin walked over to Opal and Asami.

“What’s this? You sing too?” Bolin questioned as he pulled up a chair.

“What? No I ...”

“Oh come on Asami. Sing while we play! That would help us a lot!” Opal nudged her and urged Bolin to do the same.

“Yeah! You totally should! Who knows, if you play your cards right you could even become part of our amazing band.” He smiled and accentuated his voice with a bit of propriety.

The two girls laughed and Mako shook his head. Asami looked at them back and forth and swallowed down her hesitation.  

“Just one song.” She smiled.

“ _Wooo_!” Bolin cheered and Opal sighed at his over-excitement.

Asami stood up and walked over to the center of the instrument setup. She noticed Korra had one eye open and followed her as she moved. The trumpeter still rested on the desks and had placed her head on her hands to relax. But the way she watched Asami made her look completely aware of what was happening.

Opal sat at the piano and Bolin propped up his bass. “What do you want to sing?” She asked. Mako looked on from the drumkit and Korra remained on the other side of the room.

“How about…” Asami said aloud and then thought about it for a moment. “You have some Chet Baker on your setlist right?” She turned back and looked at Mako with a questioning expression.

He jumped from the sudden attention but nodded his head. “Yeah we have two of his instrumental pieces on there.” He rubbed the back of his neck.

“Could we do ‘ _But_ _Not_ _for_ _Me_?’ from his _Sings_ album?” Asami tilted her head a bit.

The three of them looked at one another. Mako nodded to Opal and Bolin. There wasn’t much need for the drums in that song, just the piano and the bass would be fine. Though there was a heavy call for a trumpet.

“Korra would you play in?” Bolin leaned over his bass and arched his hand over his mouth to make his voice louder. “Paging Korra, you’re needed center stage.” He smiled and plucked one of the offset strings. Opal giggled a little bit as Korra sighed and stood up. She haphazardly grabbed her trumpet from the case and walked with a careless gait.

As they got into playing position, Asami took a deep breath. The door opened suddenly and a young looking girl peered into the room. She was holding an administration office slip that had been crumpled a bit at the edges. The ink had bled through the light red paper and looked hastily written.

The girl looked around between the five people in the room. “Is there a Korra in here?” The remainder of them looked at the barefooted trumpeter at the same time. Korra sighed and dropped her instrument holding hand to her side. She walked forward and snatched the paper out of the girl’s hand.

“What’s it for? This handwriting is atrocious.” Korra mumbled. That was the most words Asami had heard her say in one go.

“They called the dorm office and left a message. Something from your manager at work? I was just told to deliver you the message. Sorry.” The girl waved and left the doorway in a hurry.

Asami looked up at the band members with a clueless expression but she could see the growing smiles on their faces. Even Korra showed a little bit of unknown happiness. Opal looped her arm through Asami’s and they all rushed out the door with Asami at the head of the group.

“Hey what’s going on?” She asked as they all pressed forward down the hall. At the intersection of the two hallways were a number of doors and a private line phone that hung in a small alcove next to a bulletin board made of cork filled with empty holes and ripped notices.  

Korra walked over to the phone, picked up the line and dialed in a number with the rotor. The remaining four stood behind her eagerly waiting. Asami tried to whisper over to Opal to ask what was going on but one look at her determined face stopped her on a dime.

Korra mumbled a hello into the receiver and followed it with a few nods and audible hmm’s as the person on the other line spoke more and more. Asami couldn’t make out anything being said but gauging Korra’s reactions, she assumed it wasn’t good. She nodded one more time and and muttered a _thank_ _you_ before she set the phone back on the hook. Korra turned to the band and Asami with her usual expressionless face.

“We got the gig next week.” She spoke softly.

The three of them that stood beside Asami cheered and Bolin pumped his fist in the air. Korra sighed at their overreaction but managed a grin to combat their happiness.

Asami smiled at the new expression and turned to look at how happy the other three were after hearing the news. Bolin high fived Mako and the slap could be heard down the hall. Opal jumped about and hugged Korra who didn’t seem all that into it.

“Congrats you guys.” Asami laughed.

Without a second’s hesitation Opal let go of Korra and grabbed Asami by the shoulders and shook her a little bit. “Asami! You should come to the show! Please? It would be awesome to have you there!” Her voice trembled from her thrilled disposition.

“I _uhhh_ I don’t know.” She paused and looked around at Bolin and Mako who nodded in agreement. Her eyes moved over to Korra, she rolled her shoulder from Opal’s forceful embrace but she looked up and caught Asami’s eyes. Her expression was different somehow, vulnerable in that moment and completely different than the usual monotone one she wore. She averted her big blue eyes but nodded along with her bandmates.

Asami smiled at the small change she witnessed but she was still concerned. “I don’t know. Are you sure? I don’t--”

“No way!” Bolin exclaimed and stood himself in front of Asami with crossed arms. “You have to go! You’re our lucky charm afterall!”

“You’re what?” Asami raised her eyebrows.  
“Yeah, our what?” Korra stood up a bit more straight.

Bolin looked around at them all with a puzzled look, he wondered why they all didn’t get what he meant. “Look. We’ve been trying to get that gig for weeks now and there’s been no word. Asami shows up and a day later we get the gig. Coincidence?! I think not!” He unraveled his arms and pointed a triumphant finger at her like they were about to have a showdown.

Asami’s eyes fluttered and she couldn’t think of anything to say. She was more dumbfounded than warmed by the twisted compliment. Mako and Opal both agreed and looked over to Asami with approving eyes. Even Korra nodded along, though she made sure to estrange herself by standing further away and only gave the small gesture.

“Okay, okay I’ll go.” Asami raised her hands like she had given up. She smiled and the others all thanked her.

“Well on that note,” Mako interrupted, “We should break for today. I got class soon anyway.” They all agreed and separated. Some went back to the room to pack up their instruments and Asami decided to go back to her dorm before her classes in the late afternoon.

The day was overcast with thick, encompassing clouds. There wasn’t a shred of blue sky to be seen but the sunlight still pierced through the dark gray blanket with ease. Asami walked through the green-laiden quad and down one of the paths to her dormitory. It was a half-circular building with large glass window panes that revealed the hallways of each floor. Asami walked through the double doors and entered the lobby. The main desk was empty and a few people were scattered across the couches and reading areas. Asami didn’t take notice and continued to the elevator to get to her room.

“Hey Asami!” A voice called out from near one of the bookshelf surrounded couches. Asami turned and saw Kaori as she bounced up from her seat and quickly walked over to her. She placed her hands behind her back and stealthily walked over to Asami with a sneaky suspicion.

Without Kaori saying anything Asami already knew what she was going to remind her about. The Jazz club. They were going out that night and she had completely forgotten. Asami waved and smiled at her friend.

“I’m glad I caught you!” She smiled.

“What’s up Kaori?” Asami asked genuinely though she thought she may be suspicious for some reason.

“Are you ready for tonight? It’s going to be so much fun! I’m sure you’re going to have a blast.” Kaori sputtered excitedly.

“ _Ohh_ , I’m ready,” Asami brashly spoke, she had almost forgotten about their agreement. “But, I have class first. I’ll meet you out here with everyone else at eight.” She waved and continued up to her dorm.

“If you aren’t here at eight I’m gonna come up there and drag you down!” Kaori joked but at the same time Asami knew that she would absolutely break down her door and force her to go out to the bar. So she nodded and waved as the elevator doors closed and then released a long breath. She couldn’t figure out why she was so tense. She assumed it was the concert, it had to be, she wasn’t like this until she hesitantly agreed to come and watch the jazz club play.

Asami went to her afternoon classes and tried not to think about it. She focused on what she would wear that night and guessed at how much her friends would try to get her to drink. Going out with them was a rare occassion. It’s not like she didn’t want to, but schoolwork took precedence. Asami twiddled a pencil between her thumb and forefinger as a lecture seemed to run a lot longer than usual. She still couldn’t rid the thought of the jazz club’s excitement and her new nickname.

“ _Lucky_ _charm_ , _huh_?” She thought as she stared mindlessly at her blank sheet of notebook paper.

The sun set and Asami hurried to change into more appropriate attire. She put her hair up to one side and chose a few articles of clothing from her messy closet. She buttoned a bright white, flowy shirt up to the second to last button and tucked the loose ends into her skin tight jeans. She wore black flats because she didn’t feel like putting in the effort of wearing heels. Asami approached the full length mirror and looked at herself. The gold of her belt buckled shined from the ceiling lamp and offset the black leather of the rest of the belt. It did blend in with her black jeans, only to contrast beautifully with the white material of the top. She sighed and rolled her shoulders deeming it “ _good_ _enough_ ” before she headed downstairs to the dormitory lobby.

The walk was quick but exceptionally loud as all eight or so girls walked down the sidewalk away from the campus. A strip of bars had popped up in recent years to better accommodate or more likely, take advantage of the college life atmosphere that permeated the square mile that the university was situated.

The stretch of road that all the bars were located contained an entirely different tempo and air about it compared to the college. The sights and smells screamed of fun and alcohol. The third bar down, across from a big night club was smaller in comparison and looked all in all, pretty plain. The windows were large and spanned from the floor to the ceiling inside but were covered with dark velvet curtains. Between the glass and the cloth however, was a bright red neon sign that read Birdland in expertly crafted, cursive lettering.

A bouncer held the door open for them while Rei and Kaori thanked him by name. Asami laughed a little once she realized how much they came to the bar. Entering the bar, it was surprisingly cold and the roar of all the people jammed inside the smaller space was daunting. A large, round table was set out for them and they all took their seats.

“You guys really come here a lot, don’t you?” Asami steadied herself in her seat and looked up to Rei who sat next to her.

“Well, this is our favorite spot. And the bouncer’s a pushover so he saves us whatever table we want!” Rei joked and leaned back into Kaori who sighed but laughed along with her.

Asami looked around at the busy place, tables covered the entire floor save for the bar which was situated in the middle against a wall. Two bartenders and a barback frantically worked behind the black tiled bar to pour drinks, refill the ice machine and toss out empty liquor bottles.

A server came up to the table to took their drink orders but Kaori stopped them and ordered two bottles of champagne for them all to split.

“Champagne? What’s the special occasion?” One of the girls joked as Kaori waved her off.

“It’s Asami’s first time here afterall. It has to start off classy.” She winked and the other girls all laughed.

Asami humored them but her eyes began to wander more often as the champagne flowed and the bar seemed to get louder. That’s when she saw it. Situated in the corner, directly in front of them was a small curtained off stage. Half of a door was revealed that she assumed the musicians filed in from and then pulled the curtain back to reveal themselves.

Asami watched as the door pulled back and revealed a lit inner hallway. Two shadows dimmed the light and then the door closed. The musicians had made their way onto the small stage and through the loud chatter, she could hear a cymbal clash lightly together.

That was when she noticed that the conversations had died down a bit and more and more people turned their attention to the stage. A strange hush of silence then fell over the entire bar. All that could be heard was the seldom clang of a glass being set down and what sounded like clips of an instrument case.

“You’re going to love the music,” Rei leaned in and whispered to Asami. “You were going on and on about jazz so I figured this was the perfect place.”

“Oh really?” Asami looked away from the stage for only a moment. She could feel this weird feeling amounting in her stomach.

“Yeah, she’s a good one.”

“She?” The lights turned off and a spotlight clicked over to the curtained stage. The velvet material began to pull to one side, sliding across the circular brass rod. As it revealed the stage, Asami saw a single snare and hi-hat drum kit and the beginning of a very familiar looking trumpet. The musician took a deep breath, tapping her foot with each word that left her lips.

_“3.. 2.. 1…”_


End file.
